


Unsinkable

by Wordprism



Category: Titanic (1997), X-Men (Comicverse), X-Men (Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-23
Updated: 2014-03-23
Packaged: 2018-01-16 16:32:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1354162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wordprism/pseuds/Wordprism
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>James remained standing as he fanned through the pages, careful not to smudge any of the charcoal that adorned the slightly yellowed paper.   There were footnotes regarding animals and other unique beings alongside drawings from all angles of things which the likes of James had never seen.  There was a girl with what appeared to be angel wings stretching from her arched back alongside a younger man who trailed smoke behind him along with a tail that resembled the devil.  On the next pages, there rested a sketch of a hand covered in scales and an arm that seemed to give off a white glow.  There must have been at least fifty of the strange anatomical sketches.  “I’ve never seen-”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unsinkable

A breeze carried the ecstatic voices along the pavement, allowing them to roll off the dock and fan out over the water as a crowd surged along the port.  The spring of the year was ripe, the blue April day only lifting the spirits of those who stood there waiting for a series of moments that would renew their chances at life forever.  A tall young man stood along the stone road, hands folded behind his back as his coat tails fluttered behind him in the wind.   A dark strand of hair blew before his eyes only to be pushed back by his own gloved hand. 

                “Why do you look so down, Dear?” a ginger-haired woman questioned as she approached the finely dressed man several feet away.  “We’re lucky your father arranged for this trip.  The opportunities in the West are just so much more than what we’ve got here.  I hear that in New York, the streets are paved with gold and the towns are flourishing with every language you can imagine!  And in the south, they’ve got estates just like here!  Only it’s warmer, and they grow sugar and cotton and turn it into the most beautiful clothing!  Isn’t that exciting, Darling?”

                “Sweetheart, we aren’t staying in America.  You know we’re relocating to further north.  We’re going to be in the Dominion and the estate’s already almost built.  By the time we arrive it should be all ready to go and we’ll be doing what we have for the past two decades once more.”  The dark-haired man gave his head a simple shake before gazing off towards the water again.  “I don’t see the need to be so overjoyed over it.”

                “You’ve always been a spoilsport, haven’t you?”  With a grin of forgiveness, the young woman planted a kiss on her lover’s cheek before hurrying off in the opposite direction.  “I’ll be helping our mothers with the luggage.  You know how we women are when it comes to gowns.”

                “Alright, alright Hon’.  I’ll meet you on board.”  The sophisticated man proceeded to take his own bags instead of allowing the staff to carry it for him.  He was more than capable of attending to his own property.  The only relief that accompanied this trip was the need to take only what one really needed before beginning a new life.  Of course, the women wouldn’t rest until every piece of jewelry had been salvaged, but other than that, wealth had become a burden.  Nobody else seemed to view the class system or slavery as problematic.  Sure, the slave trade had been banned, but the rights to own other human beings still flourished in more countries than the man wished to admit.  Unfortunately, he was giving up his family’s wealthy estate at home for an even more affluent one in North America.

                “Name and age, please?” A staff member stood waiting at the ramp with an alphabetized book of passengers.

                “Howlett.  James Howlett.  Age twenty-one,” he stated, briefly checking the time before looking back up to the crew member, who was searching rapidly through the thick list of names.

                “Howlett, Howlett, ah! Here we are.  Your family will be staying on the uppermost deck, aren’t you quite the lucky one,” the man joked, receiving a small smile in return as James continued on his way.

                “Thank you.”  Upon boarding the massive ship, James stood atop the wooden deck and observed the scene before him.  Upper class elites, middle class, and even peasants of the lowest social standing would be travelling to the New World on this ship.  He didn’t mind the slightest bit, even though everyone else in his family spoke of the lower classes as if they were dirty scoundrels and mutts.  They didn’t need worry, though.  When the curfew came along, all the rest would be staying below deck.

                Meanwhile, a boy of nineteen sat with his legs crossed on a nearby bench of the ship, a notebook in his lap in which he scribbled furiously.  There were notes and sketches strewn across the sheets of paper in the leather notebook, his cerulean eyes darting between images with an intense gaze.

                “What on Earth are you doing? Pardon my asking…” James inquired as he caught sight of the nearly filled notebook in the boy’s hands.

                “What? Oh-” The young man stopped immediately when he found a member of the upper class surveying his work.  He braced himself for a conceited gesture right away.  “I just draw and write for my studies.  It’s not really much but I-”

                “Can I take a look?”

                Figuring he didn’t really have a choice, the younger man handed over his life’s work.   He was as prepared as could be for the words of mockery that would spill from the stranger’s lips.

                James remained standing as he fanned through the pages, careful not to smudge any of the charcoal that adorned the slightly yellowed paper.   There were footnotes regarding animals and other unique beings alongside drawings from all angles of things which the likes of James had never seen.  There was a girl with what appeared to be angel wings stretching from her arched back alongside a younger man who trailed smoke behind him along with a tail that resembled the devil.  On the next pages, there rested a sketch of a hand covered in scales and an arm that seemed to give off a white glow.  There must have been at least fifty of the strange anatomical sketches.  “I’ve never seen-”

                “I know it seems rash.  Everyone says it is.”  Defensively, the man blew his chestnut hair from his eyes while reaching out to take his notebook back. 

                “Is it biblical research?” James questioned as he subconsciously held onto the notebook.  After all, he had seen drawings of angel wings and pointed tails.

                “No, no… What I’ve found is that there are people living right under our noses with these… these special gifts.”  The young man’s voice contained such a passion that James was left slightly alarmed on the inside.  “I promise not to hurt them, and then they let me sketch them using their powers.  I don’t know what causes it… if it’s God, or magic, or science… But there’s remarkable things out there, whether you choose to believe it or not.  And if I can find it in Europe, I’m sure the New World has plenty to offer too.  Call me crazy but I don’t mind.  I’ve heard worse.”

                “So you draw freaks of nature?” Logan’s breath nearly hitched as the claws made of bone pressed up against the walls of his hands in a panic.

                “Well, they’re only freaks if you don’t appreciate it.  But I do appreciate it.”  A gentle smile crept onto the man’s face as he took hold of his notebook once more.  Holding it protectively to his chest, he raised a brow and gazed upwards towards the man of an upper class.  “Do you have a name?”

                “James Howlett.  And yourself?”

                “Howlett?  Where have I heard that name before?  Oh! You mean like the Howlett Estate?  And my name’s Scott.  This here is pretty much what I’m relying on when we get there. I actually only got the ticket from winning a quick little card game.”

                James absolutely hated when people brought up his wealthy family.  Sure, it was a nice title, but being known to the world as a Howlett had its pros as well as cons.  “Yes, from the estate.  And don’t worry.  Your work looks impeccable.  I wish you the best of luck, Scott.”  Once the satisfaction of a grateful smile was achieved, James swiftly turned on his heels and headed to his quarters, where a servant would most likely be organizing his clothing.  It had never occurred to him that individuals existed with the blooming knowledge of his ‘kind’.  However, as long as he kept the claws in, he would have nothing to worry about.

************************************************************************

                The Howlett family sat for a banquet that night in the fine establishment aside from the Grand Plaza.  The bow tie James wore had a luster that matched the rest of his suit exactly.   He was present in body, but his mind was elsewhere.

                “So, tell me, James.  Do you have plans to give us grandbabies?” An older woman chuckled as she raised a brow and took a sip of red wine.

                “Mother!” The same strawberry-haired girl was sitting next to James, her cheeks flushing fiercely at the suggestion.  “We aren’t even married yet and-”

                “Well, you will be within the first week of our arrival, Scarlett.  I am more than entitled to ask.”

                James held in a sigh of distress as he cut into the lamb roast before him.  No number of drinks would alleviate his stress, unfortunately.  “Don’t worry, Ma’am.  I’m sure you’ll be more than happy with what I’ve got to offer.”  Distracted, James’ knife slipped from his grasp and sliced the skin on his forearm.  It hurt like hell at first, but within a few moments his skin was clear and fresh as always.  He had learned through the years to suppress any notion of discomfort, especially when he seemed to heal as if he had never been harmed.

                “Anyways,” Scarlett continued, “I spoke to the Captain within the boarding hour, and he told me that this ship is physically unsinkable.  All around the lower levels are compartments ready to catch water in case the ship is damaged.  I can’t even begin to imagine what they’ll think of next!”

                “Nothing is unsinkable,” James insisted.  “If it was unsinkable, the upper classes would be allowed on the lower floors.  God forbid a wealthy man be harmed before a poor man, right mother?”

                James’ mother immediately shook her head and set down her wine glass.  Her voice was stern, yet unbelievably defensive.  “That is _not_ what I said, James.”

                “Oh, no?  Well we all know it certainly wasn’t the other way around.”  With a huff of disgust, James took one last swig of wine and threw his silk napkin down on his place setting before standing upright and storming out of the banquet hall.

                “James!” His mother and future wife were both calling after him, but he couldn’t have cared less.  The deck was completely empty at this time of night, and solitude was all he could have dreamt of.  Tossing his gloves onto the deck, James continued at his leisurely pace towards the bow of the ship.  The wind was certainly unforgiving, even though he enjoyed how it danced up his cheeks and through his black hair.  “Imbeciles,” he muttered while gazing down the front edge of the ship to the black water below.  Closing his brown eyes, James held the railing and allowed the wind to further caress his skin.  It felt so nice to be alone.  He didn’t have to meet up to the standards everyone else set for him, and it was an honest relief. 

                James hadn’t unsheathed his claws in over a week.  There were too many eyes on him, too many close calls that would endanger his reputation as a respectable man.  With a sigh of relief, the bone claws pierced the skin between his fingers and extended almost a foot from his hands.  The off-white bone reflected just enough moonlight to make them visible.  This was James’ natural state.  He didn’t want to be choked up in a tuxedo on a manor for the rest of his life, even if he looked impressive doing so.  No man with such animalistic qualities could possibly be destined to keep himself proper and refined.  “God damn it all…” James mumbled under his rough breath.  Sheathing his claws once more, James lifted himself to sit on the front railing of the massive ship, allowing the wind to sway him in any which way.  Part of him almost desired to test his ability to heal.  Could he survive the drop into the black water below?  Would his lungs expel the salt water before he could drown himself?  These were only questions the man asked himself, not challenges. 

                “What are you doing?” A voice asked him from several yards behind.  “Are you stuck?  Do you need help or-”

                “Don’t come closer,” James found himself growling at the man approaching him, turning his head away to focus on the water below him.  “I’ll jump if you move a muscle, you hear me kid?”

                “Kid?  That’s funny.  You don’t look much older than me.” The brown-haired man finished off his cigarette, tossing it overboard so the both of them could watch it fall into the ice cold water.  “I don’t see a reason to jump, though.  There’s not really a rhyme or reason to it.”

                “Don’t tell me what to do.  You want me to jump?”

                “You aren’t going to jump.”

                “What the hell is that supposed to mean?  You don’t even know me!” James insisted coldly while still staring down at the open sea.

                “You would have done it by now.”  Scott was leaning on the railing now, staring into the black waves with focused eyes.  “Plus, I’d really hate having to go overboard to get you, since the water’s so damn cold.”

                James suddenly froze on the railing, biting his lips in the slightest anxiety.  “How cold?”

                “Not really sure.  But I moved to Ireland after leaving Alaska ten years ago.  We used to go out hunting and skating and all that.  I remember this one time, I fell straight through a patch of thin ice into the water.”  The man shook his head once or twice.  “It’s not even like falling into water.  It’s like a thousand knives… You can’t think, can’t speak, you just freeze up and wait for someone to save you, which is why I’m not exactly looking forward to jumping in after you if you decide to let yourself fall.   But I guess it would be wrong of me not to.”  He removed his jacket and boots with a shrug, leaning over the railing next to James.  “So do you want to come back over, or am I going to have to throw myself in to get you?”  He offered his hand and waited for James to take it.

As James became lost in his own thoughts, however, a sudden gust of wind tipped him a bit further forward than he would have liked.  “Holy mother of-”  A pair of hands were struggling to keep him from dropping over the edge, but it was certainly better than nothing.  Regardless of his ability to heal, James’ fear of the several story drop into liquid night terrified him more than he could ever imagine.

                “Are you crazy?!” the younger man shouted as the hands strained to pull James back to safety.  “Didn’t you hear what I said?! Just… hang on, please! I got you!”

                James was flipped back over the railing and landed on top of his rescuer, the sound of their bodies crashing onto the deck filling the night air.  The man below him looked terrified. What was his name again?  Scott.  “Oh, well hello,” James chimed, even though Scott’s eyes were filled with trepidation.

                “You could have gotten yourself killed, you know that?!” Scott’s voice trembled as he grabbed James’ arm to help pull him up.  “You don’t just sit out on the edge of a ship when the winds are like-”

                “James? James!” his mother’s voice rang through the air.

                “Oh, there you are, James!” Scarlett exclaimed as she ran over to find her future husband laying against a man of a lower class. The poorer man helped James up, and Scarlett could see the man was minus his shoes and jacket. “James, be careful!  You’re going to ruin your clothing if you sit up on a rail like that!  And you’re more than capable of standing yourself up!”  Her voice switched to a whisper as if telling a secret, even though Scott was able to hear just fine.  “Why would you allow _him_ to help you up?  Darling, you don’t know where people like him have been.  Did he assault you? Then we need him arrested for what he’s done to you!”

                The staff had Scott handcuffed within a few moments.

                Scott simply rolled his eyes.  Were people really this ignorant?

                “There’s been a misunderstanding.  I was being… foolish.  I leaned over a little too far, and a gust of wind just… yanked me right over.  If it weren’t for him I’d be down in the water right about now.”

                Everyone looked at James with uncertainty.  They weren’t buying it.

                “Oh, it’s not that big a deal. You don’t have to thank me or anything.”  Scott was playing along perfectly.

                “Oh, I suppose he does deserve a reward then...  Mother, give this man seven poun-”

                Scott immediately shook his head with a large step backwards.  “I don’t want your money.  I just stopped him from falling. It’s not really a big deal.  So I’ll just be on my way.”

                James had to think fast.  There was no way he was allowing his family to get away with cheating Scott out of some type of reward.  “That’s the price you put on your fiancée’s life?”  James pleasantly ignored the appalled look on his mother’s face.

                “Fine, then..”  Scarlett gritted her teeth but kept her lips relaxed.  “How about you join us for dinner right now?  We’re only on appetizers, and we would love to share your company.”

                “I-… I would, I’d love to, but I don’t own a-”

                “Don’t worry.  Mother, Scarlett, you can both go back to the hall.  Come with me, Scott.” James motioned for Scott to follow as he began to move across the deck and down the ornate staircase in the inner plaza.  “Luckily I’m a good friend of the tailor onboard.  I’m sure he has plenty of suits he can fit to you.”

                “What?  Oh, no.  I couldn’t possibly accept that-”

                “Don’t worry, I said.”  James opened the double doors to the onboard shop and greeted the tailor at the desk, who was focused on sewing a button back onto a dress shirt.   “Samuel, can you fit my friend over here for a suit?  Make it appropriate for the upstairs dinner, please.”  As James began to reach into his jacket for money, the tailor shook his head in protest.

                “No, no. I’ve got something here for him.”  The tailor opened up a closet and searched through a row of suits before pulling one out and holding it up to Scott for a few seconds.  “This one looks good.  I’ll have him ready in a quarter hour.”

                James nodded and waited outside where he was met by Scott about ten minutes later.  The suit fit him perfectly, even though it was easy to tell the young man wasn’t used to wearing such clothing.  “You look nice,” he complimented while leading Scott up to dinner.

                “Thanks.  You really don’t need to do this, you know.”  Scott was unaware of how well his naturally charming features helped him blend in with this crowd, especially with the sharp contrast of his blue eyes to his slicked back hair.  “Aren’t they going to know?”

                “No,” James ensured with a warm smile while entering the banquet hall and approaching the family table.  “Just do what I do.  Sit there, enjoy the food, and only speak if spoken to.  Pretend like you own a stock or company.  It always worked for me,” he laughed as they reached the table.  James realized his mistake as soon as he began speaking.  He didn’t know the young man’s last name. “Everyone, this is Scott of the-”

                “Summers family.  Of the Summers family.”  What a lucky save.  Scott shook each man’s hand and nodded his head towards each of the ladies.  He knew what he was doing.

                “So, Mr. Summers,” Scarlett began.

                James slowly looked up from his dish, fearing she was going to try and expose Scott as a man of low worth.

                “Yes, Miss?” Scott replied as he took a tiny sip from the glass of wine poured for him.

                “What do you do for a living?”

                “I work in a field of research for birth defects in young children.  I’m responsible for the sketches and description of the symptoms.”  Scott sat back contently in his chair while taking another drink of wine.  He never faltered. “Apparently there’s more opportunity in the United States, so that’s where I’m headed.”

                Scarlett hadn’t expected such a straightforward answer.  She had expected to catch Scott off guard for sure and huffed to herself when James visibly tried to suppress a snicker.  “How interesting. Oh, no elbows on the table, Dear.  Manners, manners.”  She spoke loudly enough to attract the attention of the entire table.

                “Oh, of course.  How silly of me.”  Scott wanted nothing more than to smack the woman across the mouth for being so inhumanly pompous.  If this behavior was what wealth entailed, he wanted none of it.

                James could sense the tension growing right in front of him.  The last thing he needed was an argument breaking out between his future wife and a man who would be scolded for doing nothing wrong at all.  “Anyways,” he chimed in.  “Mr. Summers’ work is simply fascinating.  I don’t know where he could have learned to draw in such detail.  He showed me some of his sketches when I first boarded.”

                “Self-taught, actually.  They’re what got me here after my parents passed.”

                “I’m sorry,” everyone said in an almost eerie unison.

                “No, no.  Don’t be.”  When the last course had been finished and the table cleared, Scott politely excused himself only to be found again by James outside the doorway.  “I should probably return this to the tailor, no?” Scott adjusted the bow tie before raising a brow at his acquaintance.   “After all, I do need to be back on my floor within the hour, so-”

                “Why do you have to go? And also, I apologize for Scarlett’s behavior,” James admitted.

                “I’ve spoken to worse.  I’ve never been one for fancy dinners, though.  I appreciate the gesture, but I just don’t blend in that type of setting.  When I think of fun, being told where to put my elbows isn’t exactly what comes to mind.”  Scott’s modest nature was almost a relief to James from the usual people he dealt with.

                “Alright, then what do you consider fun?”  James knew almost anything was more fun than sitting at a dinner full of stiffs.

                “I don’t know-… Actually,” Scott began, “meet me at the doors to the lower level in about one hour.”  With that, he disappeared around the corner and left James standing in the middle of the plaza.

****************************************************************

                One hour later, James was following Scott down the stairs towards the lower deck.  “This is what a real party is like.  You ever been to one?”

                There was shouting, singing, dancing, and drinking in a main room of the lower floors.  All the men had mugs of beer, some drinking bottles of whiskey and scotch as they danced around with the women without a care.  In the corner of the room, band members were playing the accordion, violin, bass, and viola in an upbeat tune.  The dancers stomping on the ground to the beat served as the percussion.  “C’mon, have a drink!” Scott filled up a mug and forced it into Logan’s hands, taking a swig of his own beer as he danced around and within a crowd of spinning young women.  “Well are you coming or what?!”

                James cautiously took off the jacket of his suit and set it on a chair, a loud gasp escaping his mouth as he was pulled into the crowd to join the celebration. 

                “Come on, you!” they yelled while forcing him into the dance.

                “I don’t know what I’m doing-” James began to protest.

                “You don’t have to _know_ anything, silly!” Scott laughed as he twirled a woman around as she held her infant son, who was squealing and giggling in delight.  “Just go along with it!”

                James couldn’t remember the last time he had enjoyed himself so thoroughly.  People of all ages and backgrounds were jumping around and dancing their hearts out along to the bad, while those on the upper decks were discussing politics and the weather.  Succumbing to the enjoyment, he refilled his mug with beer spiked with whiskey, laughing as he spun a few girls around to the rhythmic claps and stomps filling the air. 

                “Hey, can you sing the song from before?” Scott called over the cheers towards the band before turning back to James with a tipsy little grin.  “Even if you don’t know it, just join in.”  He flashed his bright smile and drowned back in the crowd, pulling James along as he began to sing with everyone else.

_I’ve got a bowl full of whiskey,_

_A pot full of rum,_

_She’s shakin’ her hips, lad,_

_To the beat of the drums_

_I’ve got a bottle for my beer,_

_And a keg full of lust,_

_Drink while I may but,_

_Love as I must_

_I’ve got a dish full of ocean_

_A glass full of love_

_On the high seas and open_

_Blue skies from above_

_She took my love n’ cash,_

_Ran ‘way like the wind,_

_Never was the best lady,_

_With whom I coulda’ been_

_So now I’m all lost,_

_Until I held another’s hand_

_Poor lass, she came back,_

_But I found me a… man!_

_And then she said Honey_

_Why don’t you come home?_

_And I said, Darlin’_

_You ain’t even fun_

_I took my barrel full of brandy_

_And my kettle hot with tea_

_Went off in the wild_

_Where the lovin’s nice and free_

_Cause I’d rather be alone_

_Then with one of those brats_

_Rather meet a nice one_

_With a nice, full… laugh._

                James hadn’t realized how powerful and uplifting the group of voices could be.  They didn’t even have to be good singers, but he got an odd tugging in his chest at the sight of people who had almost _nothing_ be so happy about _everything_.  Scott had a nice, crisp voice.  It was an encouraging sound to hear that stood out from the rest of the crowd.  And even though James was clueless as to what the words were, he did his part by stomping and clapping to the beat along with everyone else. 

                After giving his upper class guest a quick spin, Scott hopped up on a crate and called for silence by waving his hands in the air.  He shouted out to the crowd with a larger than life smile on his full lips. “To all the lovely ladies and gents out there!  One, two, three!”

 _Hay! Ho! Hay!_ Everyone chanted in unison with their feet banging on the wooden planked floor.

                Scott held his hands to his abdomen as he stole a few lines for himself from atop the crate he stood on. 

_Cause if you wanna be a stiff_

_Without any fun_

_I can make this dance…_

                He then motioned to the crowd after a brief rest, as if inviting them to finish off the song.

_With myself the only one. Hey!_

                The band finished off with a final chord while Scott remained standing on the wooden box.  He had someone hand him one more beer and took one big gulp before swaying and toppling off the edge in a fit of happiness and laughter. “Woah-”

                Seeing potential for an injury, James stepped out to catch Scott, arms outstretched as the weight landed in his arms.  “Easy there, crazy,” James laughed while stumbling backwards.  “You alright there?”

                “I’m better than alright!” Scott snickered up at him.  “Let’s do that again!”

                James was unable to contain his smile as he helped Scott up to his feet again.  It was amazing what a couple of beers could do to a person.  The right amount could turn someone into the happiest man on the planet.  “You sure you’re up for it?”

                “I don’t know, you tell me.”  Scott smirked as he pulled James back into the swarm of people.  He began to spin his refined friend around, locking their arms until they built up enough momentum to send each other toppling over.  Each time made them dizzier, but it didn’t seem to matter.  “You’re getting the hang of it, Fancy Pants! Alright, one more time.  One more!”  Scott ruffled James’ still somewhat neat hair before grabbing his arms once more and starting to spin. 

                James had lost complete sight of himself.  He knew he was supposed to be at some sort of meeting right now, but wasn’t this trip supposed to be enjoyable?  Aside from forgetting about that, he also forgot to keep his claws restrained.  Even when the music stopped and gasps filled the air, the mutant still had no idea what was going on.  He kept dancing until he realized his delayed reaction.  “Oh…” he muttered, staring down at the claws of bone protruding from his knuckles.  Everyone else was stopped and gazing in drunken awe.

                Silence.

                James’ heart began to beat louder.

                Still silence.

                “Never question the work of God!” someone screamed in joy as a champagne cork popped out of the bottle.  Suddenly everyone cheered and continued dancing into oblivion.

                Scott, however, wasn’t dancing.  He was staring straight down at where Logan’s claws retracted back into his skin.  “You… You’re one of them… Why didn’t you tell me?  I-… That’s fascinating…”

                James didn’t find it fascinating.  In fact, he was scared of himself sometimes.  It only took him a few more minutes to find his way out after apologizing to Scott for his sudden departure.

*******************************************************************

                The next morning, James sat at a table for two for breakfast.  He wasn’t hungry.  He was too focused on Scarlett’s suspicious stares.

                “Don’t be ridiculous, Dear.  So once again, where were you last night?  I had hoped to spend some time with you,” Scarlett chuckled wryly as she took a dainty bite of the fruit on her plate.              James still said nothing.  His fists clenched until his knuckles whitened.

                “I was tired,” he muttered.

“Oh, I’m sure.  There’s no doubt the time you spent below decks last night were beyond exhausting.” She had gone so low as to have her lover spied on. “You are unbelievably pig-headed sometimes, James.  Let it go and move on.  We’re going for a walk with the ship’s engineer this afternoon, and I expect you to be there.”  Scarlett stood up and pushed in her chair, her eyes darting briefly back to James.  “And you are never to socialize with that young man again, understood?”

                “Yes, your Highness,” he mumbled.

                Several hours later, the late afternoon sun was warming the cool upper deck of the ship.  James was once again dressed in his fine attire, alongside his parents and future in-laws while Scarlett held his arm.

                “The ship was designed to last through anything,” the engineer began after checking the time on his pocket watch.  “It contains durable boiler rooms alongside protective watertight chambers.  Some of them can even be completely filled, and the ship will still remain afloat.  Quite fascinating, isn’t it?”

                James studied the row of lifeboats rested in concealment along the upper dock.  With furrowed brows, he spoke up.  “Where are the rest of the lifeboats?”

                “Those are all of them,” the engineer replied.  “The boat itself is in no danger of sinking, so there’s just enough for about a third of the passengers.  The state requires at least some in case of emergency, but that’s doubtful.  Impossible, if not.”

                “You’re very sure of yourself, aren’t you?” James commented. “But what if we were to need the lifeboats?”

                “We won’t.  Anyways, come along.”

                A voice was whispering James’ name from behind the corner they had just turned.  “I’ll catch up with you all in a moment,” James ensured before following the trail the wind had brought his name from.  “Scott, is that you?”

                “Who else would it be?”  The boy sure was putting that suit to good use.  He mockingly tipped his hat and walked alongside James, away from the engineer’s little tour.

                “Well, the tour was almost done anyway.  They’ll be back in their rooms before the sun even sets,” James stated casually as he observed the glowing sun lower upon the horizon.  “But I really should be going.  I promised Scarlett a night for the two of us.”

                “What’s that going to involve?  A nice night out discussing the angle of the sun and the fine silverware polishing in this fine establishment?”

                “What?” James asked, his lips twisting into a concerned shape.  “No, I mean-… The thing is, she isn’t comfortable with me being around y-”

                “Being around someone like me?” Scott interrupted out of annoyance.  “Do you love her?”

“What?” James froze up again.  “I hardly know you! Who are you to ask me that?”

“Well it’s a simple yes or no.  Do you love the lady or not?”

“Don’t be absurd,” James began as he attempted to push his way past Scott.

“I should have known a man like you would let a bitch of a fiancé boss you around.  Not only do you have claws, but you’re trapping it all happily under expensive clothing and one hell of a reputation.  You’re not one of them.  If you were one of them you wouldn’t be here even speaking to me right now.  You are a spoiled, selfish, brat, James.  You are a high-class man with no taste for wrong or right, but underneath that, you’re just like the rest of us.  Don’t let them pull you into something you don’t want to do.  I know an arranged marriage when I see one, and what you two have got is the epitome of fake.  It’s disgusting, really.  But as long as you get money in the end, isn’t everything how it should be? I just hope you wise up and save yourself instead of throwing yourself into freezing water.  I can try to persuade you, but only you can decide that you don’t want something.  Only you can do that. So I’ll be going back to the lower decks where I belong, good sir.” The young man was gone as fast as he appeared.

                Dinner that night was torturous.   James almost felt guilty looking at the second banquet provided to him.  On top of that, Scarlett had been giving him the cold shoulder the whole time.  As he picked at his food, James allowed his gaze to drift.

                There was a little boy across the room at a table much like his own.  He was being instructed how to sit properly in a chair that was way too big for a boy his size, and was scolded harshly any time he played with his food.  The little boy looked absolutely miserable as he looked out at the empty deck.  He seemed like he wanted to play outside rather than sit for a parental etiquette lesson.

                Suddenly, James decided he didn’t want to be here for the dinner.  He would go outside for a walk and leave it all behind for an hour or so.  He excused himself abruptly from the table without warning before entering the free air of the sunset-lit deck.  He would rather skip dinner for every night left on this voyage than go back inside now.  “Freedom,” he whispered at the sound of his shoes against the wood while the breeze swayed through his dark hair.   On another note, it seemed that Scott had never left.  He was still sitting facing away, looking out from the bow of the massive ship.  The poor kid was probably still enraged.  “Hello,” James whispered as he sat down next to him.  “Mind if I stay?”  James braced himself for a ‘Go away.’

                “Not at all,” Scott said with a modest smile.  “I’ve just been sitting here trying to imagine what it must’ve been like for you, almost falling off this gigantic boat and all.”  He stood up on the railing and held on tightly, leaning over just enough to watch the enormous propellers rotating and cutting through the navy sea.  “Wow…” He was without a doubt, mesmerized.  Only James’ hands on his waist were enough to get his attention.  “I’m not going to fall, James.  You can let go.”

                “Well I almost fell.  I don’t want you spilling over the edge either,” James chuckled as he pried the younger man from his perch on the railing. “And about earlier,” he began while running his fingers through his dark mop of neat hair, “I changed my mind.”

                “Changed your mind?”

                “Yeah, I did.  About my marriage, anyways.  If I’m going to marry, she better be able to deal with whoever I choose to acquaint myself with.  Scarlett’s extremely focused on the class system.  It pains me, actually.”

                “Glad to see you aren’t like the rest of those nincompoops.”  Scott forced another smile before pursing his lips and gazing out into the open sea.  “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”  Ignoring James’s previous suggestion, Scott stood back up on the railing of the boat and gradually freed his hands.  “It’s a little bit like flying.  Not that I know what it feels like, but I’m guessing this is pretty close.”

                “You do realize you could be getting yourself killed, right?” James questioned as he instinctively placed a hand on Scott’s back to steady him.  “Just watch where your feet go.”

                “Of course, I know.  Come up here with me, you’ll see it isn’t that bad.”  Scott reached back and pulled James up behind him, leaning back into the palms of his hands so as not to allow himself to fall forward.  Closing his eyes, Scott drifted off into a state of relaxation as the salt-woven air brushed along his neck and through his light brown hair.  Logan’s chin was on his shoulder, and he found himself to be fond of the feeling.  His sideburns brushed along Scott’s neck, sending a shiver up his spine and causing him to lean his head to the side.  It seemed as if James’s hand was waiting to catch Scott’s chin as he turned his head to the side.  “Be careful,” he whispered as he glanced up at the slightly taller man. “Don’t let us both fall off.” 

                “I wouldn’t even consider lettin’ that happen.”  James was overcome with a sudden modesty as he ran his thumb over Scott’s plump lower lip.  He was definitely handsome enough to fit in with the upper classes.  Those bright blue eyes were dangerous enough for James to worry about getting lost in them.  “I’m not gonna’ let you go, I promise.”  His breath hitched as his lips hovered over Scott’s, remaining still while his lips delved down and touched the younger man’s.  They tasted so sweet, so pure, so falsely innocent as his tongue softly began to explore the warm abyss that laid past his lips.  There were only two sounds in the air: the sea breeze whispering all around them, and the tiny clicking sounds of lips as they pulled apart.

                “You realize you just risked your career, James?  Your reputation?  If anyone else saw that…”  Scott pressed his lips into a thin line, his tongue sweeping up any remainders of the kiss.

                “It’s not a reputation if I don’t acknowledge it.”

                “Good to see a little bit of confidence in you, for once.”  Scott stepped down from the railing and nodded his head in a further direction.  “If you don’t mind me asking about what I saw last night… I don’t want you to think I’m pining after you cause of that, I just-”

                “No.  I don’t mind.  Come back with me, it’s not smart to be standing out in the open talking about it.” James offered his hand and briskly led Scott along the deck up the ship, down the main staircase, and into the hallway of his quarters before opening the door to reveal the exquisite living room.

                “I’m not allowed to be here, right?”

                “No, but I don’t have a problem with it.  Damn them all to hell,” James muttered as he plopped down on the sofa.  “So what did you want to talk about again?”

                “Yesterday,” Scott whispered as he sat down, “I saw your… claws.  I wanted to know if you’d be okay with me drawing them,” he wondered while pulling his notebook from his jacket along with a couple of pencils.  “I’m not gonna’ tell anyone.  I promise.”

                James nodded and extended his claws without a word of protest.  “That okay?”

                “If I could get your full arm it would be better.  With and without them extended, please.”  Scott flipped to a clean page and held his pencil to the paper as James rolled up his sleeve a little. “No.”  Scott let out a silent laugh before reaching out and unbuttoning the white shirt so that it fell from James’s shoulders.  “I said your full arm.  God, I’m not asking for your rear end. Can you just do the claws on one hand and nothing on the other? Perfect.”  Scott’s brows furrowed with focus as he began sketching the torso of the man sitting in front of him.  Once he had the general contour drawing done, he began observing more closely for finer details.  He expertly drew the bone texture of the claws, transitioning to the firm skin that encased his tall, thick body.  God, James was a beautiful specimen.  Scott had no idea how the man acquired such a strong build, but it was certainly easy on the eyes.  As a final touch, he began to sketch the dark trail of hair that began on his pronounced pectorals and ran down all the way to the waist of his pants. It probably didn’t stop there, and Scott found his face heat up at the thought.  There was a well-defined pair of lines that formed a ‘V’ shape from James’s hips that dipped frustratingly below the belt.  He couldn’t help but marvel at how James’ s brown eyes wandered around the room as he sat perfectly still, either.  “Alright, you’re all done.”  Scott’s lips curled into a smile as he displayed the drawing to James.   “Came out nicely, don’t you think?” Scott leaned forward and touched the bone claws with the utmost delicacy.  They were almost as beautiful as James himself.  He gasped a little as the weapons retracted.

                “Stunning,” James admitted before standing up and loosely hanging his shirt on his shoulders again.  “Do you mind if I-”

                “James?  Are you with someone in there?” a voice called as feet sounded down the steps.  “I swear on my grandfather’s grave, if you’ve got another-”

                “Go.  Run, now!” James whispered as he pushed Scott along and out of the room.  They were being followed by one of the Howlett family members that Scarlett had sent to check up on James.   The two sprinted down the stairs and into the lower levels of the ship, running until their hearts felt ready to burst. 

                “Where are we going?!”  Scott’s voice was a mixture of laughter and panic as they raced past the staircases and through the massive storage and boiler rooms.  It felt like a thousand degrees in there, but there was no other way out. 

                “James, you get yourself upstairs right now young man!”

                “In the car, go!”  James swung open the door to an automobile parked in storage, closing them in and laying low beside Scott to avoid being caught.  “Don’t move a muscle…” He couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of his rather rotund uncle breathlessly running around trying to find them.  Eventually, he gave up and vanished, leaving Scott with James in the back seat of a vintage automobile. 

With a grin, Scott climbed into the front of the carriage and turned his head back to face James.  “So, where to my good sir?”

Leaning forward and resting his chin on the leather seat, James raised a brow and whispered, “To the stars.  How about that.”  James smirked and grabbed Scott by his shirt, pulling him backwards in a flash over the front seat so that he landed underneath him in the back.

                “God, it’s so hot in here!” Scott kept laughing as he threw his head back and bit his full lips.  “Nice hiding place!  You gonna’ stay there or am I going to be lying underneath you for a while?”

                “You’re gonna’ be there a while.  If you don’t mind, of course,” James said while adjusting his unbuttoned shirt.  The heat from the burning furnaces in the hull of the ship was making him sweat till his hair dripped.  He watched as Scott reached back and dragged his finger along the fogged up car window.

                “I don’t mind at all,” he chimed with a charming smirk.

                “Don’t think I didn’t see the way you were lookin’ at me as you drew me.  Go ahead.  Nobody’s here to tell you no.  Not even me.”  James ran a hand back through his hair as he stared down below him.  “Go ahead,” he teased with encouragement.  “Put your hands on me.”

                “Oh? Was that an invitation or a demand?” Scott inquired as he ran a finger up James’s dampened chest.  He froze for a moment and bit his lip to turn his chin up and look the man in his brown eyes.

                “Maybe a little bit of both.”  James immediately lowered his head and locked his arms around Scott’s body.  His fingers grabbed at Scott’s and his own clothing, his breath growing ragged and heavy until the sweaty fabric was in a pile under the seat of the automobile.  “Feel bad for the poor soul who owns this car.”

                “I don’t,” Scott commented with his knees pressing onto James’s bare waist.  He twisted the dark hair on James’s chest in his fingertips, slowly dragging him down for another passionate kiss.  Scott’s toes curled against the back of the leather front seat, the toes on his other foot pressed against the glass window.  For the time his eyes were open, he watched the world move repeatedly up and down above him while holding James’s head to his neck. The back of his head was thumping lightly onto the seat, his blood starting to rush faster and faster until he felt like ten thousand degrees packed into one body. The more he focused on keeping his body relaxed and free of tension, the more that any slight touch affected him.  He was unable to stop squeezing his abdomen and back, a passionate gasp trickling from his mouth in time with what occurred below.  Once his body became locked in a state of pleasurable tension, each movement that pressed into him made him gasp for air, groan, or cry out with his eyelids fluttering in the rush of feeling.

                “Well, it’s not like they’re gonna’ bother trying to find out who.  There’s over a thousand people on this ship.”  James’s voice was pitching from low to high between grunts and breathing while Scott laid underneath him like a little tease with his hand over James’s mouth to keep his volume down. “Mmph!”

                “Sh, you’re going to get us caught.”  Scott let go of Logan’s shoulders and rested his own hands palms up beside his head, eyes closed in deep enjoyment and focus.  The air was so steamy it was like breathing in a sauna.  Scott drew in a long breath, only feeling his heart thump faster in his chest and his back rise into a perfect arch.  A wave of sensation burned through his body, making him want it even more.  He allowed his legs and hips to tense and relax in a rhythm that seemed to make James go crazy on the inside.

                To Scott’s surprise, James fought to free his lips from Scott’s hand and let out a growl and a cry of bliss that would’ve been heard by everyone if it weren’t for the loudness of the engines and burning coal.  Almost jealous to see James in such relief, Scott found himself not too far behind as the slightest movements and titillations against his sensitive skin caused him to do the same.

                The two of them laid there for a good amount of time afterwards.  Both were sweaty, out of breath, and just plain exhausted.  “You ever get a chance to do that with that wife of yours?”

                “Not even close,” James breathed as he ran a hand back through Scott’s hair and kissed him on the forehead.  “Not even a little bit.  Come on, Sugar.  Let’s just get you dressed and get the hell out of here before they find us.” 

After slipping on their clothes, James and Scott rushed their way out of the engine rooms back up to deck.  They were greeted by the sight of a bus-sized chunk of iceberg cracking off and spilling onto the deck of the ship.  Boulders of ice were scattered everywhere as the sound of metal ripping filled the air.  Scott dove to push James aside from the icy debris, taking a hit from a chunk of ice in the back of the head.  “Ow…” he groaned, rubbing the back of his neck while James sat him up to inspect him.  Luckily there was no blood.

“You look fine, Hon’. But Scotty, if I stay here any longer they’re gonna’ come to find me, so just make sure you get somewhere safe.  I’ll see you in the morning.” James paused and pressed a single, firm kiss onto the man’s lips before parting ways.   It hadn’t occurred to him that the iceberg would ultimately cause the end of the voyage.

After regaining his composure, Scott sidestepped the pieces of ice scattered along the deck and made his way towards the lower floors. 

“There he is! That’s him!”  It was Scarlett.  She was pointing at Scott with a glare almost as icy as the iceberg that had just hit the Titanic. 

Once more, Scott was bound by handcuffs before he could protest.  “What did I do?!”

“Stealing valuable jewelry of a woman to sell on the streets of your slummy town is unacceptable, you pig.”  The guards were already dragging Scott down the stairs to a prison chamber.  If he kicked and yelled for help, they punched him.  After being dragged down three flights of stairs, Scott was cuffed in a small room with his arms locked around a pipe.

 It had all happened so fast, he didn’t know what to do with himself.  Writhing in frustration, Scott eyed the guard watching him and the rows of keys lining the cabinets.  “I didn’t do it,” he growled, pulling on the handcuffs and arching his back while trying to get free.  The guard didn’t seem to care.  He merely stood up, delivered a powerful punch into the young man’s gut, and walked out of the room.  It was almost as if he knew staying in the room was a bad idea.  Scott finally understood why the guard had left.  With an audible gulp, he stared at the thin layer of freezing water beginning to creep under the door.

*****************************************

Meanwhile, the upper decks were in a panic.   The fighting for the lifeboats had begun.  Children were crying hysterically while their mothers tried to comfort them. 

“It’s sinking?!” James began looking around the deck of the ship, knowing Scott would never be allowed on a lifeboat with him.  He was third class.  That’s just how it worked.

“You won’t find him here, Darling.  Only a few lucky ones from third class will even make it to the boats.  I’m sure he’ll be fine, but let’s get our family to safety first.  Okay?”  With an eerily calm expression, Scarlett allowed a crew member to help her and her parents into one of the boats.  “Come on, James,” she insisted.  She then turned to the guard and asked, “Will the lifeboats be seated according to class?”  When James didn’t board the lifeboat, Scarlett raised a brow.  “James, Honey, why aren’t you getting on?”

“Where is he?”

“The boy is a thief, and he’s being kept where he belongs.  Now get on the boat.”  Her voice took a more demanding tone.  People were now starting to push and shove, and the boat was practically ready to be lowered into the open sea. 

“No.  You…”  Without another word, the dark-haired man broke from the crowd, his feet burning along the ground as he stalked along in a vain attempt to hunt down Scott’s location.  He frantically questioned anyone who passed where an arrested man would be taken.  The directions were so unnecessarily complicated.  Down the hall with the winding staircase, the lower floor, two rights and then three lefts.  It didn’t matter.  He would search the whole ship if he had to.

The young man found himself shoving past women and children, nearly tripping down the stairs against the stampede that fought to reach the upper decks.  After breaking loose, James came to a further staircase that was beginning to flood with freezing blue water.  There were chunks of ice, even a fish or two swimming by that were as confused as everyone on the unsinkable ship.  James didn’t care.  He threw himself downwards, the water reaching his thighs with a jolting shock of frigidness as he waded carefully down the corridor.  The lights were beginning to spark and short out, his lips slowly starting to turn blue with every passing minute.  “Scott?!” He could only hope the younger man was able to hear him and return the shout to shed some light on his location.

Meanwhile, Scott couldn’t help but feel his lips crack a smile.  Here he was, the water approaching his hips, and the man he had met of first class was on his way to rescue him.  With a slight shiver, he cracked out a cry of response.  “James?! Over h-here! Here!”  Much to his frozen delight, the clawed man had kicked down the door and rushed to his side.

“What the hell did they do to you?!”  James rushed himself against the rising arctic water, immediately reaching out for a secure hold on Scott’s tightened waist.  The boy’s face was paling rapidly, his plump lips trembling and turning from an alluring natural red to a dangerous shade of indigo.  He wanted to warm those lips, immediately leaning his head down and touching his own stiffened lips to Scott’s.  He held him firmly, hands protective before retracting and studying the cuffs that linked his unexpected lover to the wall. 

“I t-think there’s a key over-”

Out came James’s claws of bone.  He swiped his clenched fist straight down, severing the links and immediately grabbing Scott’s arm in order to lead him out.  “Come on, we’ll never get out of here in time if we don’t hurry.”

It was astonishing how rapidly things spiraled out of control.  One second the water was up to their knees, the next it was up to their midsections.   Most of the lighting had failed, leaving the corridors dark with black water rising up to grab them.  The gates back upstairs had been locked, leaving crowds of third class families screaming for their lives as water crept upwards.  They were all going to die.  Women, men, children, and families would all meet their demise tonight.  To Scott’s horror, a mother in one of the rooms they passed was telling her children a bedtime story, knowing very well they would never escape up to the deck of the ship.  Before he could think any further, James was pulling him along.  It took a decent amount of time, but enough struggling allowed the mutant to pick a gate open with a claw and break free.  With both men shivering uncontrollably, a final lurch of the massive ship told them they needed to get to the upper deck before everything went under.  It was obvious that the Titanic was beginning to tilt upwards, glass objects and plates sliding from shelves and crashing to the floor almost as loud as breaking hearts.  In a rush of panic, the lovers made it to the deck, straining themselves against gravity to race up the steadily inclining floor. 

“Come on Scott, I got you.  I got you.”  James extended his hand, tears freezing on his cheekbones as he gripped Scott’s right arm and pulled him up onto a railing.  He must’ve done something to deserve this horrendous fate.  Scott’s pale features were enough to bring him into a state of self-imposed agony.  For something so beautiful to be in so much pain hurt to see.  “I’m not gonna let go just hang on to me-”

The entire ship snapped in two. 

The half that had been up in the air slowly came crashing back down to a level plane.  Unfortunately, the victory was short-lived.  The half that was sinking as it flooded was still attached to the other section, and slowly began to drag the whole ship down with it.  Within seconds, the front of the ship was perpendicular to the water. 

Scott looked over silently, wind scalding his cheeks as he looked upon the man whose life he had saved, and had now had his own life saved by in return.  James’s brown eyes were filled with trepidation, his neat clothes soaked with ice water and his lips shaking from either fear or cold, he wasn’t sure.  His black hair was flying back in the wind, his yellowish brown eyes tearing from either sadness or fright.  It was challenging to imagine that only two hours ago, they drove themselves crazy with lovemaking in the back leather seat of an automobile.  Scott’s memory of the wild, passionate release was all he had left to keep him warm inside.  The only thing to comfort him was the thought of James’s naked body keeping him protected and warm in the already-blazing engine room.  But now, there was nothing except black sky, black water, and a lack of light as the ship began to sink under for good.  Stragglers were falling from railings, slaughtered on impact with pipes or exposed propellers that once spun under the water.   They were most likely next.   All Scott could do was place his hand over James’s, and stare at the massive pit of ocean that was coming up to meet them.  He could have sworn he heard angels, or maybe it was Logan begging him to hold on for his life.

They hit water in less time they had anticipated.

Immediately knocked from the railing, the two were dispersed below the black waves as the pressure gap from the sinking ship sucked them under.   But where was James?  Scott opened his eyes under the surface, looking around frantically for his lover before finding him barely conscious, drifting in silence against a pit of black.  Swimming for his life, Scott reached out and grabbed him.  He grabbed him and hauled his body up to the surface, each of them gulping air upon meeting the top of the water.  There were lifeboats nowhere to be found, only debris from broken sections of the ships and personal belongings.  Scott was unfortunate enough to come face to face with a woman in a life preserver, floating aimlessly through the water.  She held an infant in her arms.  Both of them were ice cold.  Both of them were dead.  Frozen in panic, it was only James lifting him onto a wooden door that broke his attention free.  It was clearly big enough to fit the two of them, and Scott refused to take all that space for himself and leave the man he loved treading water.  “Get up h-here.”

                Both men were soaked from head to toe, their hair already turning white with frost, including their eyebrows.  Curled up in a state of shock, they laid there holding each other for what seemed like years.  Once facing each other, James’s chin was atop Scott’s head, both pairs of arms interlocked around their bodies.  James slowly lifted a strong leg over Scott’s in order to share whatever warmth they had left.  When they could shiver and grit their teeth no more, James croaked out a strained little whisper.  “You’re going to be fine, Scott.  I promise.”

                “I know, James,” the younger man whispered with his lips presses into James’s wet chest.  “T-the lifeboats are gonna’ come and we’ll both be f-fine.  They-They’re gonna’ c-come for us, just, s-shh…”

                James kissed the boy’s head one last time, snuggling him, whispering into his ear to keep his blood flowing and his body warm.  His shivering was violent, almost.  He trembled so sharply that James worried the door would flip over and send them splashing back in.  It was also obvious that both of them were frightened and exhausted.   A nap couldn’t hurt either of them.  “Hon, I need you to rest.  Go to sleep and I’ll watch you for now, and I’ll wake you if I see a lifeboat.  Got it?”  His voice was barely a whisper, but Scott easily accepted the offer of sleep and was out cold in no time, once he told James that he really did love him.

                James held his prized possession as he waited for a boat to row along.  There were frozen bodies drifting eerily all around them, and he feared they would be the next to go.  If only he could have reached America with his newfound love and take him to experience the style of living he deserved.  It must’ve been an hour, yet no sign of a lifeboat.  It might be a full night before one even passed them by.  After all, there were hundreds of bodies to work through and check for signs of life.  Cuddling up to the sleeping form beside him, James rested his body into the enticing fingertips of slumber with solid tears frozen on his face at the idea of failing to protect the man he held to his chest.  He was such a pure, innocent soul.  Scott never cared about his wealth, all he wanted was to see James break free from the prosperity that bound him to a phony act of a typical first class man.  Scott had put his trust in James, and he had forced him to break free from the stubborn ideology that was the class system.  Not even to mention the beautiful loving that boy was capable of.  James dreamt of his lover dancing below the deck, his eyes like blue fire as he spun around, singing and swallowing beer by the mug.  He listened to his charming little laugh as they ran across the deck, and saw his playful eyes become focused as he sketched the claws of bone with a passion and interest James had never seen in anyone’s eyes before.  He saw visions of what happened in the car, the way his lover’s perfect little nose scrunched at the preeminent smell.  He liked it.  It suddenly occurred to James in his sleep that he wanted nothing more than to make it to his destination, with Scott’s hand in his own as they arrived on the shore of the new world.  It was the whistling of a lifeboat rower that awoke him immediately.

                The boat was slowly paddling through the ice and corpses, a lantern glowing against the black night in a desperate hunt for survivors.  “Is anyone alive out there?!” the men shouted, their eyes scanning the surface for anything that might have moved.

                “Scott, Hon’ wake up.  The lifeboat’s here.”  James lifted his head and softly nudged the man nestled into his body.  He must’ve been pretty tired.  “Come on Sugar, wake up.  It’s time to go.”  James’s stomach twisted into a massive knot as he pried Scott’s hands from his waist.  With a better look at his face, James could see how white the boy’s face was.  Scott’s eyes were closed, his limbs stiff, and his attractive lips blue.   His clothing was frozen solid against his skin, his hair adorned with bits of ice and frost.  He had shivered all he could shiver, and there was nothing left to keep his heart beating.  “S-scott… Come on, wake up w-we have to go…”  Why wasn’t the man James had just made love to not answering?  How come when he kissed him, his lips felt dead?  How come he could see his own breath, but not Scott’s?  “W-we have t-ta’…”

                The lifeboat was drifting away, its crew assuming the surrounding area was completely dead.

                The boy was dead.  James’s mutant-drawing, beer-drinking, chanty-singing, life-loving baby was dead.  Too in shock to understand what he had ever done to deserve this, James freed his lover from his grasp on his waist.  Even though it hurt to watch, James kissed those lips one last time before laying the young man down against the lapping waves, holding him in cradled arms before slowly taking the cradle away and watching in disbelief as the young body sank down into the darkness, fading away into nothing more than a memory.  It was only then that James could choke out a cry, hoping that the lifeboat would reach him before he decided to dive back down and retrieve the love that had already met its fate.


End file.
